Dynamic Opinions and Views

“Is That All You’ve Got?” (reprise)

by jim_worthPosted: Wednesday, 2/3/2010

Six month’s ago when future Republican Presidential candidates were destroying themselves at an alarming rate I wrote the article “Is That All You’ve Got?”

One of those defunct potential candidates tried to revive her aspirations with a book tour. Sarah Palin garnered large crowds at Grand Rapids, Michigan; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Columbus, Ohio. For some ungodly reason supporters want to meet her, even if for only 15 seconds, and read her book; a book written, not by her, but by a ghost writer.

At the Border’s bookstore in Columbus, Ohio a representative from NewLeftMedia interviewed people standing in line to get Sarah Palin’s book. I think you’ll find the interview enlightening. You can view it on YouTube and judge for yourselves. “Sarah Palin Book Signing – Interviews with Supporters”

If this is a sample of the electorate that will possibly decide the fate of this country, then we are potentially in worse shape than I had ever imagined!

There is nothing more dangerous than an uninformed or misled electorate. Especially one that is easily manipulated to vote against their own self interests.

This was never in more evidence than the recent Special Election in Massachusetts. Independents voted overwhelmingly against their best interests when they elected Scott Brown. They appeared to be fooled by the Kennedy clip used by Brown showing JFK calling for tax reductions for all Americans. But, in using that clip Brown lied to the voters of Massachusetts by his obvious omission. And they fell for it.

What were the electorate of the usually Liberal state of Massachusetts not told?

Kennedy’s tax cut proposal would take the top marginal tax rate from an extremely high level of 91%, under President Eisenhower’s term, down to 77 percent. It was finally passed in 1964 under President Johnson after Kennedy’s death. It stayed above 70% for the next 16 years! The idea of a tax cut with unemployment at 10% and a top marginal rate at 35% is sheer madness, and that’s all the Republicans have to offer.

By comparison, according to the Tax Policy Center – Urban Institute and The Brooking’s Institution. the top marginal tax rate during Reagan’s 8 years in office went from approximately 70% down in four steps to a top rate of 28%, but 5 of the previous 6 years were 50% and the year before the last decrease was 38.5%. Seven (7) of Reagan’s 8 years it was higher than the current top rate. During the Clinton years it was 39.6%.

Kennedy’s concerns were appropriate with a 91% top tax rate, unemployment at 6.7%, a much smaller deficit (0.6% of GDP) and the possibility of a budget surplus.

We currently have none of those conditions, so the mantra of the Republican’s is nothing but smoke and mirrors. And that is all they’ve got!

It’s more important than ever before to take a look at their other candidates. In the article six months ago I indicated that of the list of hopefuls, only Tim Pawlenty, the Governor of Minnesota, was credible enough to represent the Republicans in the 2012 Presidential election. I was sadly mistaken. Pawlenty, since that statement, has derailed.

Instead of being a more populist pol, as he appeared, he has taken radical far right positions on many of the most important issues confronting the people today; unemployment, state deficits, healthcare, global warming, etc., to the detriment of his state, the country, and the American way of life.

The scariest aspect of the current political unrest is that these aspiring Republicans might convince enough Independents to focus their anger on change. Given the Republican’s lack of substantive solutions, that would be a potentially fatal mistake.

The GOPhad14 years to fix healthcare, control the banks, lower the deficit, slow unemployment, prevent the erosion of manufacturing in the U.S., curb the deportation of jobs overseas, regulate the markets (derivatives trading, credit default swaps, and ponzi schemes), and stop the bleeding.

So what did they give us?

They gave us the dot.com bubble, the largest corporate bankruptcies in the history of this country, two costly wars in life and treasure, the housing bubble, the financial crisis, the huge trade deficit, and the highest unemployment rate in years. And what was their answer?

Tax cuts!

Tax cuts that put this nation further in debt and will cost our kids and grandkids hundreds of millions of dollars.

Last month’s tax receipts, in a typically positive income month for the government, were down 11% which is a clear indication that we are, realistically, not collecting enough taxes to pay our bills. And, as a result, the deficits continue to grow; due mostly to low tax rates and high unemployment.

After 14 years of their predecessors tearing this country down the Republican’s newest superstars: Scott Brown, Bob McDonnell, Paul Ryan, Mike Pence, and Jeb Henserling want to lower already historically low tax rates. With tax rates as low as they have been for several years they’ve tied our hands and taken away every possible thing we could do to rebuild the economy.

But it seems that that is all they’ve got.

Lowering taxes is not the answer to our massive financial problems. Nor is raising them at this juncture. Raising taxes would shut down this ostensibly improving economy beyond our imaginations.

Right now the Republican’s have no answers for how we got here, and even shorter memories. This mess is theirs and they are trying to convince the electorate by lying, misdirection, misinformation, deflection, and omission that they should have another chance. They had 14 years! How much time do they need?

So if the vote in the next election is for change then let’s find smart, common-sense Independents who care about the American people, not about getting reelected.

One Response to ““Is That All You’ve Got?” (reprise)”

[...] still gives him an opportunity to win the candidacy. Then, there is, Tim Pawlenty, who has, as described in my reprise article, changed so radically to appease the crazy base, that he is no longer electable. John Thune [...]